Six Basic Nutrients

Do you know the six basic nutrients, what they do, and their importance?

The following is a brief description of each...excerpts taken from a book written by Katie Rigby and given to me many years ago.

* WATER... makes up 50%-80% of body weight. It carries other nutrients throughout the body, aids in excretion, regulates body temperature, and cushions and lubricates organs, muscles and joints.

*CARBOHYDRATES...are 40% carbon, 7% hydrogen, and 53% oxygen. About 75% of dry plant matter is made up of carbohydrates. Sugars, starches, cellulose and gums are carbohydrates. They are the base, or building blocks for the usage of other nutrients. They provide heat and energy to the body and are stored in the body as fat.

*LIPIDS...are fats. They produce over twice the energy of carbohydrates and support the animal's energy supply. Lipids provide heat, insulation and protection to the body. Over 75% digestible, lipids are found in cereal grains, oil seeds (cotton, sunflower, etc.) and in the animal's body, subcutaneously, around internal organs and in the marbling of meat. Lipids produce hormones like bile acid.

*PROTEIN...is the main ingredient of organs and the soft structure of the body. Protein is required more by a young, maturing animal than an adult. True proteins are composed only of amino acids. Proteins such as elastin, collagen and blood proteins are the base of the body structure. Too high a concentration of protein in the diet can cause liver abcesses and damage.

*MINERALS...are necessary for bodily functions. They cannot be manufactured by the body. Minerals aid in the assimilation of vitamins and without minerals, vitamins are useless. They can make up to 5% of an animal's dry body weight and are necessary for growth and development. The mineral content of plants and animal sources is sometimes called "ash". Calcium is the most common mineral in the body at around 50%. Phosphous is about 25% and all other minerals make up the other 25%.

*VITAMINS...cannot be synthesized by the body. They must be obtained from the diet. Vitamins are necessary for growth and maintenance of life by promoting health and vigor. They are either fat or water soluble. Water soluble vitamins cannot be stored by the body and must be taken daily.

Without the proper balance of the above nutrients, an animal will have difficulty growing, maintaining body condition, and living up to its full potential, especially if under stress, growing or performing. Many health issues can be attributed to an unbalanced diet. Feed companies spend thousands of dollars on the research to create a variety of feeds to meet the needs based on age, activity level, and the health condition of individual animals. It is up to us to determine the feed best suited for the animals in our care. There is now a feed available for almost every need.